NEW DELHI: Dr KVP Ramachandra Rao, MP and close confidant of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, on Tuesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and strongly pressed for the candidature of YS Jaganmohan Reddy for the Chief Minister’s post.
Ramachandra Rao apprised her of the current political situation in the State and explained to her the need to anoint Jagan, which he said, was in the best interests of the party and the State. Political secretary to the Congress chief Ahmed Patel was also present at the meeting.
After the meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, Ramachandra Rao said Sonia Gandhi had told him that she would take a final decision on YSR’s successor after consulting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders.
He said, “She asked me about the political situation in the State. I gave whatever information I had. She enquired about the well-being of the family members of Rajasekhara Reddy.” Ramachandra Rao is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi again on Wednesday.
During the day, he met Union Law Minister and incharge of party affairs in the State Veerappa Moily, Defence Minister AK Antony and other senior leaders and discussed the issue of YSR’s successor.
He will meet the Prime Minister on Wednesday morning. Earlier, he had a detailed discussion with Ahmed Patel on the political permutations and combinations.
Though the Congress is maintaining that it has not initiated any discussion to pick a successor to YSR, Moily and AICC general Secretary Digvijay Singh met Sonia Gandhi separately and held discussions.
A number of party MPs from the State also met senior leaders separately to impress upon the party high command the advantages of Jaganmohan Reddy’s candidature.
Moily said the party would resolve the issue of successor to the late Rajasekhara Reddy soon after the mourning period. He said, “As soon as the mourning period is over, we will resolve this problem.” He said the party leadership had not initiated any discussion on the issue and suggested that the State leaders were meeting the high command on their own.